Pilates Exercise: Knee Slides

Time to work our core with knee slides. This is an exercise to strengthen the hamstrings, popliteus, and psoas connection which can help improve your posture!

This video has not been modified for injury or chronic pain issues. Please talk to your doctor before beginning any exercise routine. You want to skip this exercise if you are in acute pain in your hip.

We start laying down on our backs, and we’re gonna have one knee bent, foot flat on the floor, and the other leg extended out straight. Think about the back of your ribs staying planted on the floor because this will help keep your core connection stay on.

I’m going to bend the knee of the straight leg, focusing on feeling the back of the leg working as I’m bending the knee because we want to strengthen the hamstring and knee muscle. I also want to feel my abs and psoas working to help stabilize my pelvis.

I’m really trying to keep my hip flexors out of the equation, staying focused on the back of the knee. I want to pull from the hamstring and the back of the knee because that’s our focus point. When I start feeling my hip flexors engage, I want to redirect my thoughts towards the back of the knee, really trying to use the back side of the leg to bend the knee.

As I’m keeping the ribs down, I’m staying focused on the back side of the leg working. Oh, yeah, I really feel the back side of the leg working right now. It’s already kind of burning, actually. And I’m feeling relaxed in the hip flexors.

When I start to feel my hip flexors gripping, which I feel a little bit right now, I just put that mind connection back to the back of the knee and the hamstring because that’s what we’re trying to strengthen.

I want to try to keep my alignment of my knee, hip, and foot so I don’t compensate with other muscles. I notice my knee wants to cave in a little bit, probably from the hip flexors wanting to engage. Ribs staying down so I keep my core connection working. Trying to relax those hip flexors and feel the back of the knee so I know I’m working the right muscles.

Look how slowly I’m working so I stay functional in the right place. I definitely feel that hamstring kicking in, feeling that psoas working for me.

Continuing to breathe, staying focused. Oh, I really feel the back of my leg working. Lots of hamstring. There’s my psoas. Hip flexors relaxed. Keep focusing on the back of the knee. I noticed my hip flexors just wanting to kick in.

When I feel like I can’t let go of the hip flexors, I let the leg release.
I don’t want to continue to work it if I’m feeling the front side of the leg kicking in too much. I repeat and switch sides.

It’s very nuanced movement. It takes a lot of focus to stay connected on the back side of the knee and leg as you’re doing the knee slide. It’s important you work at a speed in which you can focus on the right parts working.

That’s it. That’s the knee slide. Alright, enjoy.

Let me know if you have something in particular you want me to address. I take requests! What do you want me to show you? What’s been bugging you lately? Do you want help with something specific? I want to know what you are looking for.

Stayed tuned for the next post! We will see what I have in store for you then.

Email me at pilates@thebodygallery.com for more information. I’m happy to help.
Until next time, enjoy life, have fun, and make it a great day.